THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 TAG: 9502080653
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Old Dominion will try to rebound - literally and figuratively - from a couple of blowout losses tonight when it hosts Richmond at Scope.
The Spiders should be a welcome sight for the Monarchs, who outrebounded Richmond in their first meeting.
Old Dominion hasn't done that lately. The Monarchs have been outrebounded by an average of 15.3 per game in their last three outings, two of them losses. ODU has slipped to seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association in rebound margin at minus-3.7. The Monarchs average 34.6 rebounds per game, worst in the CAA.
Coach Jeff Capel said the Monarchs need to develop a more assertive mindset. And while the onus to rebound generally falls on interior players, Capel said they need help.
``Our perimeter players have to become more involved in defensive rebounding,'' he said. ``We're trying to get out and run before we have the ball. Post players are singled out, but our perimeter players have to do a much better job of assisting us.''
SPIDER BITE: Richmond snapped a nine-game losing streak with a victory Saturday at William and Mary. The Spiders not only struggled on the boards in the last meeting with ODU, but also turned the ball over 22 times and scored a season-low 46 points.
``We did not take care of the ball the first time and they really pressured up and hurt us with their half-court pressure,'' Richmond coach Bill Dooley said.
EXPANSION UPDATE: CAA commissioner Tom Yeager continues to play the waiting game as Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia Tech try to decide what their conference affiliation will be. Both have open invitations from the CAA, while Virginia Tech also has an invitation to join the Atlantic 10.
``I have some real good feedback from VCU, but nobody has said, `Put the bottom line down, let's sign,' '' Yeager said. ``But I get the feeling VCU is leaning our direction and Tech is more up in the air.''
Virginia Commonwealth's board of visitors meets at 5 p.m. today. Athletic director Dick Sander said that the options will be laid out to the board, and that he and university president Eugene Trani will make a decision either tonight or Thursday.
``We'll have it pretty well focused in after that meeting,'' Sander said.
Virginia Tech's board of visitors will meet Monday, when Tech athletic director Dave Braine is expected to make a recommendation.
The Washington Post has reported that the Atlantic 10 will take in Tech, Dayton and La Salle.
``I talked to Dave Braine since that appeared in the Washington paper and he assured me the decision has not been made,'' Yeager said.
THREE-TEAM RACE: The CAA clearly has become a three-team race; although with no dominating teams, the tournament next month could be interesting.
``I'd be very surprised if teams seeded one through four in the tournament made it to the semifinals,'' Dooley said.
Old Dominion has a half-game lead over UNC Wilmington and a one-game lead over James Madison. William and Mary is in fourth place, three games back.
``I think it's pretty well balanced across the board,'' Tribe coach Charlie Woollum said of the league. ``Three teams obviously appear to be the strongest - Old Dominion and Madison and the team that appears to me to play the soundest defense is Wilmington. You're not going to score a lot of points against them.''
The Seahawks lead the CAA in scoring defense and field-goal-percentage defense.
Old Dominion still has to play at UNC Wilmington, while the Seahawks are at James Madison on Saturday.
HEART-TO-HART: East Carolina athletic director Dave Hart, a frequent candidate for other jobs the past couple years, has finally made his move to Florida State.
Pirates coach Eddie Payne, who was hired by Hart, said the ECU athletic director made a commitment to the basketball program and made sure the resources needed were made available. Specifically, Payne said Hart did not allow any corners to be cut in the renovation of Minges Coliseum.
``His attitude was, `Let's do it first class,' plus he had the know-how to sell those things politically and otherwise to get them done,'' Payne said. ``He set a strong precedent and example of what it takes to be successful.'' by CNB